Scaevola plant named &#39;Bonsca 1219&#39;

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Scaevola  plant named ‘Bonsca 1219’, characterized by its compact and spreading plant habit; freely branching habit; early and freely flowering habit; long flowering period; dark violet-colored flowers; and good container and garden performance.

Botanical designation: Scaevola aemula.

Cultivar denomination: ‘BONSCA 1219’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Scaevolaplant, botanically known as Scaevola aemula and hereinafter referred toby the name ‘Bonsca 1219’.

The new Scaevola plant a product of a planned breeding program conductedby the Inventors in Yellow Rock, New South Wales, Australia. Theobjective of the breeding program is to create new compact, spreadingand early-flowering Scaevola plants with numerous attractive flowers.

The new Scaevola plant originated from an open-pollination in YellowRock, New South Wales, Australia in February, 2011 of a proprietaryselection of Scaevola aemula identified by the code number 09-33, notpatented, as the female, or seed, parent with an unknown proprietaryselection of Scaevola aemula, as the male, or pollen, parent. The newScaevola plant was discovered and selected by the Inventors as a singleflowering plant from within the progeny of the stated open-pollinationin a controlled greenhouse environment in Yellow Rock, New South Wales,Australia on Dec. 19, 2011.

Asexual reproduction of the new Scaevola plant by vegetative tipcuttings in a controlled greenhouse environment in Yellow Rock, NewSouth Wales, Australia since December, 2011 has shown that the uniquefeatures of this new Scaevola plant are stable and reproduced true totype in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Scaevola have not been observed under all possiblecombinations of environmental conditions and cultural practices. Thephenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environmental conditionssuch as temperature and light intensity without, however, any variancein genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘Bonsca 1219’. These characteristics incombination distinguish ‘Bonsca 1219’ as a new and distinct Scaevolaplant:

-   -   1. Compact and spreading plant habit.    -   2. Freely branching habit.    -   3. Early and freely flowering habit.    -   4. Long flowering period.    -   5. Dark violet-colored flowers.    -   6. Good container and garden performance.

Plants of the new Scaevola can be compared to plants of the femaleparent selection. Plants of the new Scaevola differ primarily fromplants of the female parent selection in flower petal color as plants ofthe female parent selection have sky blue-colored flowers petals. Inaddition, plants of the new Scaevola are more spreading than and not asflat as plants of the female parent selection.

Plants of the new Scaevola can be compared to plants of the Scaevolaaemula ‘Wesscaetob’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 19,658. Inside-by-side comparisons, plants of the new Scaevola differ from plantsof the ‘Wesscaetob’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Scaevola are more spreading than and not as        mounding as plants of ‘Wesscaetob’.    -   2. Plants of the new Scaevola flower earlier than plants of        ‘Wesscaetob’.    -   3. Plants of the new Scaevola are more freely flowering than        plants of ‘Wesscaetob’.    -   4. Plants of the new Scaevola and ‘Wesscaetob’ differ in flower        petal color as plants of ‘Wesscaetob’ have violet blue-colored        flower petals.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearanceof the new Scaevola plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonablypossible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in thephotographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in thedetailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors ofthe new Scaevola plant.

The photograph at the top of the sheet comprises a side perspective viewof a typical flowering plant of ‘Bonsca 1219’ grown in a container.

The photograph at the bottom of the sheet is a close-up view of atypical flowering plant of ‘Bonsca 1219’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs and following observations, measurementsand values describe plants grown during the late summer in 20-cmcontainers in an outdoor nursery in Higashiomi, Shiga, Japan and undercultural practices typical of commercial Scaevola production. During theproduction of the plants, day temperatures ranged from 15° C. to 30° C.and night temperatures ranged from 13° C. to 25° C. Plants were threemonths old when the photographs and the detailed description were taken.In the following description, color references are made to The RoyalHorticultural Society Colour Chart, 2007 Edition, except where generalterms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Scaevola aemula ‘Bonsca 1219’.-   Parentage:    -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Proprietary selection of Scaevola            aemula identified as code number 09-33, not patented.        -   Male or pollen parent.—Unknown proprietary selection of            Scaevola aemula, not patented.-   Propagation:    -   -   Type.—By vegetative tip cuttings.        -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About ten days at            temperatures about 21° C. to 25° C.        -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About 15 days at            temperatures about 18° C. to 21° C.        -   Time to develop roots, summer.—About three weeks at            temperatures about 21° C. to 25° C.        -   Time to develop roots, winter.—About four weeks at            temperatures about 18° C. to 21° C.        -   Root description.—Fibrous; typically white in color, actual            color of the roots is dependent on substrate composition,            water quality, fertilizer type and formulation, substrate            temperature and physiological age of roots.        -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; medium density.-   Plant description:    -   -   Plant and growth habit.—Compact and spreading plant habit;            moderately vigorous growth habit.        -   Branching habit.—Freely branching habit with lateral            branches potentially forming at every node; pinching            enhances branching potential.        -   Plant height.—About 24.5 cm.        -   Plant diameter (area of spread).—About 73.2 cm.-   Lateral branch description:    -   -   Length.—About 19.8 cm.        -   Diameter.—About 2.3 mm.        -   Internode length.—About 2.8 cm.        -   Aspect.—Upright to outwardly.        -   Texture.—Densely pubescent; rough.        -   Color.—Close to 138B.-   Leaf description:    -   -   Arrangement.—Alternate, simple; sessile.        -   Length.—About 4.4 cm.        -   Width.—About 2 cm.        -   Shape.—Spatulate.        -   Apex.—Acute.        -   Base.—Attenuate.        -   Margin.—Serrate.        -   Texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Pubescent; rough.        -   Venation pattern.—Pinnate, reticulate.        -   Color.—Developing leaves, upper surface: Close to 143A.            Developing leaves, lower surface: Close to 144A. Fully            expanded leaves, upper surface: Close to N137A; venation,            close to 145A. Fully expanded leaves, lower surface: Close            to 137C; venation, close to 144B.-   Flower description:    -   -   Flower type and shape.—Zygomorphic, semi-circular,            fan-shaped flowers with five petals fused at the base to            form a tubular flower throat; flower throat open along the            upper surface exposing the reproductive organs.        -   Flower arrangement and quantity.—Solitary sessile flowers            arising from upper leaf axils; flowers mostly horizontal;            freely flowering habit with typically about 4,100 flowers            developing per plant during the flowering season.        -   Flowering time.—Early flowering habit, plants begin            flowering after about four weeks after planting; long flower            period, plants flower continuously from spring to autumn in            Japan.        -   Flower longevity.—Flowers typically last about a week on the            plant; flowers not persistent.        -   Fragrance.—Present, pleasant.        -   Flower buds.—Length: About 1.8 cm. Diameter: About 2.8 mm.            Shape: Lenticular. Color: Close to N77C.        -   Flowers.—Diameter: About 1.5 cm by 2.9 cm. Depth: About            1.3 cm. Throat diameter: About 3.6 mm. Tube length: About            1.1 cm. Tube diameter, distally: About 3 mm. Tube diameter,            proximally: About 2.1 mm.        -   Petals.—Quantity per flower: Five, fused at base. Length,            beyond tube: About 1.3 cm. Width, beyond tube: About 5 mm.            Shape: Narrowly elliptic. Apex: Cuspidate. Margin: Entire;            weakly undulate. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth,            glabrous. Texture, throat and tube: Pubescent. Color: When            opening, upper surface: Close to 83A. When opening, lower            surface: Close to N87A; midrib, close to 199D. Fully opened,            upper surface: Close to 83B; towards the throat, close to            1D; color does not change with development. Fully opened,            lower surface: Close to 86B; midrib, close to 199D. Throat,            distally: Close to 2B; venation, close to N79A. Throat,            proximally: Close to 1A; venation, close to N79A. Tube:            Close to 1B; venation, close to 78A.        -   Sepals.—Quantity per flower: Two. Length: About 7.5 mm.            Width: About 1.4 mm. Shape: Lanceolate. Apex: Acute. Base:            Fused. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces:            Pubescent. Color, upper and lower surfaces: Distally, close            to 143A; proximally, close to 143C.        -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Stamen quantity per flower:            Five. Filament length: About 3.6 mm. Filament color: Close            to N199D. Anther size: About 1.3 mm by 0.6 mm. Anther shape:            Ellipsoidal. Anther color: Close to N199C. Pollen: Scarce.            Pollen color: Close to 155B. Gynoecium: Pistil quantity per            flower: One. Pistil length: About 1.3 cm. Style color: Close            to N77B and 149D. Stigma color: Close to NN155A. Ovary            color: Close to 143C.        -   Seeds and fruits.—Seed and fruit development have not been            observed on plants of the new Scaevola.-   Garden performance: Plants of the new Scaevola have been observed to    have good garden performance and to tolerate rain, wind and    temperatures ranging from about 0° C. to about 40° C.-   Pathogen & pest resistance: Plants of the new Scaevola have not been    shown to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Scaevola    plants.

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Scaevola plant named ‘Bonsca 1219’as illustrated and described.